Industry-Government Agreement For Managing Leftover Paint
As part of an agreement signed or endorsed by 45 state and local governments, the paint industry association, a major retailer, the association of painting contractors, and others, representatives have announced a plan to reduce the environmental impacts and cost of managing leftover latex and oil-based paint. Participants in the year-long dialogue agreed to implement 11 projects, at a cost of $1.2 million, to be implemented over the next 18 months that will provide information necessary for the development of a nationally coordinated leftover paint management system. To date, nearly $800,000 has been committed to initiate the projects and to continue the national dialogue for the next two years.
The Product Stewardship Institute (PSI), a national non-profit organization, initiated the dialogue on leftover paint in 2003 in response to concerns expressed by state and local government officials about paint's high volume in the waste stream, potential to impact human health and the environment, substantial costs to manage, and potential for increased reduction, recovery, reuse, and recycling. PSI estimates the cost to manage leftover paint on a national level to be over $275 million per year.